Laura Weatherford '22 Recruiting Profile

I love the game of volleyball! It's a passion of mine to not just play volleyball but to play it hard. I love to serve receive & to keep the plays going through my competitive defense. I do weekly lessons to help me grow in my knowledge of the game & to be the best defensive player for my team. When my hitters get kills, it feels like I got the kill too because I worked hard to keep the ball in play for my setter & my hitter. I can't get enough of volleyball & cannot wait to play in college. As a Libero for club and school, I have learned that I set the tone for the energy & am the leader of the back court. I am always cheering, screaming, & encouraging my teammates during practices and games. I also learned that my teammates need different types of encouragement from me to bring them up after they make mistakes. My favorite part of the game is when we play a super competitive team & everyone both on and off the court is screaming and working really hard to win. Sometimes you don't win but you are still proud of yourself & your team because you know everyone played their absolute hardest.  

I was first introduced to volleyball at age 7 or 8 when my sister played. I started out as a setter but my coaches quickly moved me to Libero. My club jersey is #4. I played 12's for two years, then 13's, then I played 15's for two years. My 16's season was cut short due to Covid but we are back on track for 17's.  I'm excited and looking forward to playing 18's next year and cannot believe it will be my last season playing for my school and club team, For 16's and 17's, I've been able to play in Open. It's been a challenge because we have not won many matches but it's teaching me to push hard and focus on being a good teammate and cheerleader for my team and friends.  I've helped my teams to earn 3 bids to GJNC in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, & Detroit. I've been on a first team my whole volleyball career. I attend the John Cooper School where I played on Varsity all four years.  As the only freshman on the team, I shared the Libero position with a senior and played every set of every game.  I play the six rotation Libero all other years. My Jersey number for school is #14. I helped my Varsity team earn the ability to play in the Southwest Preparatory Conference State Championship for 9th & 10th grade (sadly there are no state championships for 2020). As a sophomore, I earned defensive player of the year & racked up a season high of 541 digs. As a junior, I earned defensive player of the year plus I reached 1000 career digs even with a shorter season. I'm floor captain & a highly energetic leader of the court. 

I was homeschooled through 8th grade. Then, I was accepted into The John Cooper School which is a highly academic college prep school & in the top 4 of Houston area private schools. While adjusting to the rigorous academics & new environment, two months into my freshman year, my mom was diagnosed with late stage 4 cancer. This was really hard on my entire family. My mom went away for chemo treatment to Nevada & was gone almost the whole month of December 2018. It was also the first time that my mom missed one of my club tournaments. It was hard for me to focus on school & volleyball at times but I pushed through with the help of my amazing teachers, coaches, & parents. My GPA for my freshman year is not reflective of my perseverance or my dedication. As a tenacious person who never gives up & never stops trying, I pushed through the challenges of balancing a new school, club volleyball, & my mom's cancer. My GPA may seem low compared to other students who attend schools that are not college prep. I know that the challenging academics combined with my competitive personality helps me push every year to build up my GPA. I've been successful in doing that & will continue to always do my best every semester.  A former coach of mine said, "Every time you step on the court always try to get 1% better than last time". I do the same for my school work every time I do homework or step in the classroom or on the court.  I can't wait to play in college!